The European Coalition to End Animal Experiments reacts with disappointment to today’s EU statistics on animal experimentation

The European Coalition to End Animal Experiments reacts with disappointment to today’s EU statistics on animal experimentation

12/12/2013

The European Coalition to End Animal Experiments (ECEAE) has announced today that the figures revealed in the animal testing EU statistics ‘aren’t the significant progress for animals in laboratories that they had hoped for’.

The ECEAE cautiously welcomed a decrease of 4.3% (519,501 animals) in the number of animal experiments carried out across the European Union but believes this is likely to be more of a reflection of the economic climate as none of the member countries have a committed strategy for reduction in place.

The ECEAE is an alliance of leading European animal organisations and represents 26 animal welfare organisations in 24 EU member and candidate states. The BUAV, the UK member group, is Secretariat to the ECEAE.

This follows the publication of the Seventh Statistical Report by the European Commission which covers data collected by 27 Member States for the year 2011*.

The latest statistics show:

The total number of animals used in 2011 was 11,481,521 which is a 4.3% decrease from 2008 when the statistics were last released.

The use of animals for fundamental biological research has increased from 38% to 46% (715,519 animals)

The increase in the use of mice for fundamental biological studies (16.9% increase – 3,602,370). This is due to the rising number of genetically-modified mice used in research. **

A worrying report that 90 animals were used to test cosmetic substances despite the fact it was banned in 2009.

Main user countries continue to be France, Germany and the UK constituting 55% of the total number of animals used throughout the EU. Use of animals by Ireland was up 135% (264,990 animals), Czech Republic up by 18% (354,196), Estonia up by 18% (41,035), Latvia up by nearly 10% (10,329).

ECEAE Chief Executive, Michelle Thew states:“Whilst we cautiously welcome the decrease in animals used in Europe’s laboratories, it is disappointing that further progress has not been made. 55% of the experiments are carried out in only three member countries - France, Germany and the UK – these countries should be leading the way in pioneering humane alternatives, not continuing to carry out cruel animal experiments. This isn’t the significant progress for animals in laboratories we had hoped for.”